no more mobile phones while driving

[KBeee]

Looks like hands free will be next according to news reports today on TV. They are already saying that hands free are just as dangerous as using a hands on phone. Random breath tests are being talked about too.
On a related note, deaths in UK hospitals from hospital caught infections are now higher than road deaths. But saving lives in hospitals costs money, whereas saving people from demonised paedophile/murdering/terrorist/planet-killing motorists is a money earner.

[chicken]

whereas saving people from demonised paedophile/murdering/terrorist/planet-killing motorists is a money earner.

It's a well known fact that people go for bigger engines to compensate for the age (or lack of) of their girlfriends of course!

Seriously though, a hands free kit has got to be less dangerous than talking to a passenger because they can't visually distract you.

[iranu]

I'd like a Beadles About, You've Been Framed type TV series soley based on people being caught by the plod on their hand held whilst driving and seeing them tow the car to a crushers and watch the "motorist" as their car is crushed.

That would be well worth the hike in the license fee.

The only time you should use a mobile in a car is in an emergency i.e. 999 call and if it's that important then you can pull over. (motorway inside lane might be excusable as the hard shoulder is more dangerous)

[SilentDeath]

Whats this new rule? I thought using mobiles has been a fineable-points on licence offence for well over a year?

That said I always try to drive safely but it is often perfectly ok to recive a call IMO. I only have short conversations if I do (like under 20 seconds) but if your aware enough to drive safely whilst talking then your also aware enough not to get caught.

But there is a good thing to this, a very good thing. We NEEED more police on the roads, and thats the only way they can enforce this. Drivers are so bad around here that I judge how aware I am by how many times I see a near miss caused by other people - usually related to roundabouts with dual lanes on exits. Acctually I think that would be a waste of police time and money, a much better idea would be a retest for everyone once every 5-10 years. A test costs £40 vs running a car costs £1000's. If this was the case people would spend a lot more effort making sure there driving is good.

[[GSV]Trig]

Wonder if its still ok for the coppers you see on the TV to use mobiles/Radio's, and drive one handed, without seatbelts on while having a camera crew in the car....

But I'm sure its fine as they've all been on Advanced Driver courses, so if I drive round on my mobile and forget to put my seatbelt on and tear down the M1 at 90mph while theres nobody else in the car does that make me safer than them..?

[kalniel]

Well today I saw both sides - on the way into work I was tailgated most of the way by a white van driver holding up a really unsubtle, large, bright silver phone to his ear. He put it down just as we approached where I work...

.. thus escaping the attentions of a patrol car who had just pulled someone over presumably for using the phone given that they were unlikely to have been speed on this bit of road.

[Butcher]

Whats this new rule? I thought using mobiles has been a fineable-points on licence offence for well over a year?

Previous penalty was a £30 fine. New penalty is £60 and 3 points (same fixed penalty as speeding).

As for the talking, smoking etc. etc. The police can pull you over and give you points on your licence if they think you aren't properly in control of your vehicle regardless of the cause. Apparently hands free kits are included in that, so if you're on the hands free not paying attention you're no better off than being on a handheld.

[Rave]

Up until they tightened up the law I'd occasionally just pick up the phone to say "yeah I'm two minutes away. Sorry I'm late love, see you in a mo then" while I was on the way to pick up my wife. I made a few longer calls before they made it illegal (three or four years ago now I suppose?) and it really is very distracting, far more so than talking to someone who's in the car with you.

What's the cheapest bluetooth headset around at the mo? It'd still be handy to answer the 10 second "where are you?" calls, because let's face it my timekeeping isn't getting any better. As a bus driver, no licence = no job, so I need to keep it clean.

[Saracen]

Previous penalty was a £30 fine. New penalty is £60 and 3 points (same fixed penalty as speeding).

Of course, you can decline to accept an FPN and go to court. Or, of course, a police officer may consider an FPN inappropriate in the circumstances and you may end up getting taken to court anyway.

And if you do end up in court, you face up to £1000 fine. Or £2500 for goods vehicles, passenger vehicles for more than 8 passengers, etc. Makes £60 and 3 points sound cheap.

[monkeyville]

What's the cheapest bluetooth headset around at the mo? It'd still be handy to answer the 10 second "where are you?" calls, because let's face it my timekeeping isn't getting any better. As a bus driver, no licence = no job, so I need to keep it clean.

There are loads of headsets on eBay and most of them are pretty good. Maybe post a wanted thread and i'm sure someone will have one spare. Thinking about it I got one with my new phone that i don't use. £10?